Earlier this month, city officials had to make a decision to close the skate park located on Shirley Avenue due to safety concerns until further notice. Some of the equipment has become deteriorated over the years and the surface of the park has numerous cracks which has made the surface unstable for use by skateboarders.
“Please be patient as we work with community members and try to designate an area for a potentially new and reliable place for our youth to skate,” says City Manager Terrell Jacobs.“We want our skateboarders to be able to skate in an area that has trustworthy, quality equipment as well as a safe and sound environment.”
Skateboarders are encouraged to skate at Eastside Park in the old tennis court area as a temporary location.
The old tennis courts are unused and the court nets have been removed which allows for an open surface for skateboarders to utilize. Protective gear should be worn when skating at Eastside Park.
Skateboarding is not allowed on private property without consent of the property owner, in the downtown district (Atkinson Plaza), any city property other than the area at Eastside Park nor on the sidewalks.
Skateboarders are asked not to be in the areas that are prohibited and skateboarders are liable for any structural damages that may occur when “grinding” their boards or performing tricks on public and privateproperty.
For more information, please call the City Manager’s office at (912) 389-3401.
-Submitted by the City of Douglas